The story behind: My daughter Momoi @ HoiJouJam Haokip, 7 months old, a heart patient, died at the Narayana Hrudayalaya Hospitals, Bangalore due to negligence of hospital nurses and doctors. The reasons why we can be so certain about her untimely death are hereby furnished for general information and publicity as follows:

1. My daughter Momoi @ Hoijoujam Haokip was a heart patient. She was very intelligent, identified her parents well and frightful to be left alone. When treated in Imphal in Manipur, while she was kept in Intensive Care Unit (ICU), I was allowed to be beside her so that she was not scared to be with me although she was with drip wires which she used to fear so much. On the contrary, the Narayana Hrudayalaya Hospitals did not allow me to be with her. My eyes could never forget the pathetic cry of my dear little child as I left her crying behind terribly fearful to be left alone. No doubt her heart became swollen as a result of this terrible fright. Any little child with a heart patient will eventually die under such circumstances.

2. She was admitted on 30th November and died on 3rd December, which means 4 days without food & water. Although she was given drip all those days, her hunger and thirst seemed beyond limit because when I refused her breastfeeding, she started licking all over my chest and I could clearly saw her mouth and tongue completely dried. Had I fed her at least for few minutes, she could have found some relief of her excessive thirst. My heart breaks to think that my little baby died of hunger and thirst while I suffered terrible breasts pain, ready to fed my child.

3. Inside the ICU, she was initially put under electric warmer, naked with so many wires all over her body. Later she was transferred in a simple naked bed without anything to warm her body. When I visited her, I saw her became very cold. When I touched her cold body, I feared for her life and oh, how much my heart yearned to embrace and warmed her up on my chest, but I was sternly not allowed even to touch! I am fully convinced that even if a very healthy child is left naked in an air conditioned ICU, she/he would eventually die of cold. A day before she died, I saw my baby kept aside at the corner of the room, all by herself presumably without attention. She died the next day.

4. To sum up: I am certain without any slightest doubt that the main causes for the untimely death of my dear little child was due to (i) fright, (ii) hunger/thirst and (iii) cold, rather than from her physical sickness. As a matter of fact, she was very active and jubilant from home until the day we admitted her in this hospital. Had it not been for this hospital’s negligence, she would still be alive today, to await for proper treatment.

5. The physician, Dr. Mahala, who examined her confided with us that she had 80-90 percent chance of successful treatment and full recovery and that we need not worry. He also further mentioned that the reputed hospital had successfully treated several cases like this before, however before he began treating/operating her, Momoi died.

NOTE: At admission, we deposited Rupees 1,30,000 for operation which was never conducted. After Momoi died, the hospital authorities intentionally delayed to refund the deposited amount for operation compelling us to wait for more than 24 hours which compounded our hospital bills apart from their lump sum deduction bill causing us with another blow to add to our heart-breaks. Perhaps we were deprived of full attention as a Northeasterner. We expressed our deepest regret over this man-made irreparable loss, otherwise, today our little Momoi, apple of our eyes, will still probably be with us today.

Adieu our little darling honey, forgive us for we never meant to let you die in such agony. May your soul rest in peace!

Mrs. Hengah Haokip is mother of the deceased Momoi Haokip. She can be reached at 9856362685.